The
report finds that the failure to invest an additional $157
billion above current levels per year for infrastructure would
lead to $3.1 trillion in lost GDP and 3.5 million job cuts
through 2020.

The study’s authors explain how a country that under invests in
infrastructure pays an economic toll in the future:

Businesses and households face higher costs due
to several factors, including unreliable transportation services,
less reliable water and electricity services, and unmet
maintenance needs and outdated facilities for airports, marine
ports, and inland water- ways. These costs absorb
funds from businesses that would otherwise be directed
to investment or research and development, and funds from
households that would go toward discretionary consumer purchases.